Sciextor

Remote Access Tool

A RAT attack is a type of cyber attack that uses a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) to gain unauthorized access to a computer or network.

A RAT is a malware that allows hackers to monitor and control the victim’s device remotely, and can cause various types of damage or harm, such as stealing sensitive data, encrypting files for ransom, deleting or modifying files, spying on the user’s activities, or launching other attacks

RATs are often delivered through malicious email attachments, phishing links, fake software updates, or by exploiting vulnerabilities in the system.

RATs can be difficult to detect and remove, as they may hide themselves among legitimate processes or use encryption and obfuscation techniques to evade antivirus software

RATs are used for various criminal purposes, such as espionage, sabotage, fraud, extortion, identity theft, cyberstalking, and cyberterrorism

RATs can also be used to create botnets, which are networks of infected devices that can be controlled by a hacker to perform large-scale attacks, such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks

Some statistics on RATs are

• According to the 2021 Internet Crime Report by the FBI, there were 847,376 reported complaints of internet crime in 2021, with potential losses exceeding $6.9 billion. Some of these complaints involved RATs, such as ransomware, business email compromise, tech support fraud, and extortion
• According to the 2021 Police-reported Crime Statistics in Canada, there were 5,375 incidents of police-reported crime per 100,000 population in 2021, an increase of 1% from 2020. Some of these incidents involved cybercrime, such as identity fraud, identity theft, and unauthorized use of a computer
• According to a study by Bitglass, 60% of remote workers use unsecured personal devices to access work networks, and 71% of security leaders lack sufficient visibility into remote employee home networks, leading to a large portion of cyber attacks (67%) targeting remote employees
• According to a report by Software One, human errors were behind 90% of data breaches in 2020, and many of them were related to the use of RATs, such as exposed remote login credentials, misconfigured cloud services, or phishing emails
• According to a blog post by Darktrace, one of the most popular RATs is TeamViewer, which can be used for videoconferencing and remote management. However, TeamViewer can also be compromised and used to deploy malware or manipulate critical systems. For example, in February 2021, an unknown attacker used TeamViewer to access a water treatment plant in Florida and attempted to change the levels of sodium hydroxide in the water supply, which could have been lethal for the residents

What can you do

• Install an anti-malware software program. A good anti-malware program can help you detect and remove RATs from your computer, as well as prevent them from infecting your system in the first place. You should keep your anti-malware program updated and run regular scans to ensure your computer is clean
• Harden access control. You should use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and limit user privileges on your computer and network. This can make it harder for hackers to gain access to your system or install RATs without your permission
• Avoid suspicious downloads and links. You should not download files from untrustworthy sources, such as malicious websites, torrent sites, or email attachments. You should also avoid clicking on links that look suspicious or phishing, as they may lead you to malware-infected sites or download RATs to your computer
• You can disable RDP or limit its access to specific IP addresses or users. You can also change the default port number, use strong passwords, and enable encryption and authentication
• Server Message Block (SMB), this protocol enables file and printer sharing between computers on a network. It can also be used by attackers to spread malware or ransomware, such as WannaCry or NotPetya. You can disable SMB or block its ports (445 and 139) on your firewall. You can also keep your system updated with the latest security patches and avoid opening suspicious attachments or links
• Telnet. This protocol allows remote command-line access to a computer over a network. It can also be used by attackers to execute commands or install malware on your computer. You can disable Telnet or block its port (23) on your firewall. You can also use more secure alternatives, such as SSH or VPN